Meddling with the Past
by KimberlyLestrange
Summary: This story is my take of what would have happened if Emma would have fallen through the portal alone and if she would have landed in Regina's timeline instead. To be exact, in the time right after Daniel's death and before the evil Queen's birth. What if Emma can't help herself? What if she can't let Regina walk down that path? What if she needs to save her from herself?
1. Chapter 1

Meddling with the past

 **This is a new story i've been working on. I'm not completely happy with it yet but i'm hoping to continue if you guys like it. I think that there are a lot of possibilities with this plot idea and I'm really hoping for your support. So please tell me if you want me to continue this or any other story. Thank you (:**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any recognizable characters and no money has been made from this.**

-Emma pov-

Emma was falling, deeper and deeper into the green obis. She was scared and terrified of whatever she had gotten herself into this time. Her bad luck was definitely rising to new heights. Sure she didn't have to check, she didn't really have to be so nosy and go on ahead into the oddly glowing barn instead of waiting for help. But she had and she would do it like that again. Emma was always one to take charge, always one to go things alone because that's what she had been used to until she got to storybook. This was a trademark that Emma was definitely not a fan off right now.

A bright light. It was blinding and the hard ground took Emma by surprise. She cursed under her breath, the wind was knocked out of her by the fall and the blonde gasped for air. She looked around and already knew were she was, the only place she could have possibly landed in. The Enchanted Forest. Emma's mind was frantic, she didn't know what to do. What could she do. This was ridiculous.

Emma was pulled out of her own thoughts by a horse carriage approaching, making the savior hide behind a bush before running the risk of being discovered by someone she knew in the future. One thing was for sure…she needed to get back and she definitely couldn't cross paths with anyone she were to get to know in the future otherwise she could change the present immensely. So Emma started walking along the side of the path. Always close to a tree or a bush, behind which she could hide if someone were to cross her way.

Emma must have been walking for hours, she had passed a small village and stole a pair of trousers and a white long sleeved cotton shirt. It was rather easy to steal them, honestly people were just hanging up their laundry away from their homes to dry. Probably out of embarrassment. The undergarments weren't exactly Victoria's Secret material.

Emma hadn't realized that she had crossed over into another kingdom. A small Kingdom to be exact. The savior was walking across a stone path, through a small town. The smell was suffocatingly bad and Emma had to stop herself from gaging a couple of times. God, the blonde already missed inside plumbing and oral hygiene. Not even New York was this bad…or maybe she was just used to the clean air of a small town like Storybrook.

"Hey you!" A tall, strong man, who looked like a guard screamed her way. Emma jumped at the harsh tone and turned around to the voice which was definitely directed at her. The man approached her and he looked terrifying to Emma.

"You're new here" the man grunts, standing in front of Emma and eyeing her suspiciously. Young woman weren't suppose to wear trousers, unless… " you must be the new stable boy..well girl".

Emma nods quickly, seeing her opportunity to get out of this conversation and probably a trip to the dungeons. She was almost relieved to have the excuse handed to her until she was pulled along harshly by her arm.

"Than stop standing around and staring holes into the sky." The man grunted at her and Emma glared at him. If this were Boston and..well her timeline than she'd definitely rip his nuts off. Instead Emma just did as told and started walking in the direction the guy had shoved her. It wasn't long until he took the lead and Emma was to follow him. They walked out of the little village, through a thick forest with tree's so high that you couldn't even see the sky above before landing in a clearing. Emma gasped at the sight that greeted her. Upon a hill, behind a small river and miles of miles of grass that seemed to be never ending lay a castle. Not a huge castle, it was defiantly smaller than the Charming Castle but still...it looked mesmerizing. Emma was pulled out of her admiration as she was pushed forward so hard that the blonde lost her footing and landed on her hands and knees.

"If you don't stop waisting time than I'm pretty sure that Madam Mills will have you fired on the spot."

Emma froze after having gotten back up onto her feet and cleaning the dirt of her trousers. She took a deep breath and slowly turned around towards the obviously aggravated man.

"Mills? As in Cora Mills? Mother of the Queen?" Emma asks gulping visibly, but to her surprise the man actually laughed.

"Queen? Under which Rock have you been living? Regina Mills isn't queen yet? Her betroyal to the King isn't for another month" he explains, shaking his head "Silly girl" the man huffs while pushing past her and continuing his path up to the stables. Emma mentally noted that they alone were probably bigger than most houses in Storybrook.

Emma didn't even have it in her to glare at his back. it wasn't hard to figure everything out by now. She was obviously stuck in Regina's timeline, yet before the evil Queen. Emma was to act as a new Stable girl which meant that Regina had already lost Daniel. This was bad, very bad. Emma needed to get out of here as soon as possible and find a way back. She couldn't temper with the timeline, that could potentially ruin everything.

Emma had been pacing, deep in thought and had somehow managed to actually follow the Man into the stables.

"Now, here is a new set of clothes and the key to your chambers in the will be in the basement. third door to your right" he drawled, shoving a little package into Emma's arms. "Now start working, you lazy wrench" he spat, before leaving her alone. If stares could kill than he would defiantly be six feet under ground and burning in hell by the way Emma glared daggers into the back of his head.

The blonde was pulled out of her unspoken curses directed at the rude man by a soft yet sad humming coming from further inside the stables. She knew she shouldn't, knew she should leave but Emma couldn't. She was to nosy to do that. So she tentatively walked further into the stables and peaked over the woden barrier separating the single hoarse boxes.

Emma couldn't believe her eyes.

"Regina" she breaths in shock. There in front of her stood no one other than Regina. A much younger Regina if she might add that, yet still as pained as her older self which caused Emma's heart to crack lightly. Emma didn't know why this impacted her as much as it did but she wasn't about to delve into that, because there she was. There wasRegina..everything seemed to always pull her right back to Regina. Another thing, Emma tried not to think about. The blonde was utterly fascinated by her light colored wardrobe, lack of dark make-up and braided hair, that she stepped a bit forward and ran right into the wooden post.

"Goddamnit, who on earth put that there" she curses under her breath, holding her head. Regina had jumped lightly at the noise before turning towards the owner of it and spotting the unfamiliar blond " are you alright?" a tentative voice asks.

 **I'm sorry for the lack of Regina in the first chapter but i primes that the next will be in Regina point of view ^-^Let me know what you think in the comments.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two:

Part of Emma wanted to run, because while everything about this Regina was different her eyes were still those dark pools in which Emma found herself getting lost so frequently. It was dangerous to see this Regina in the same light she saw her own version of Regina. This Regina hasn't casted the curse yet, she hasn't murdered entire villages yet, this Regina was still to adopt Henry and meet Emma. More importantly learn to trust Emma. She couldn't expect her to recognize the blonde. Emma swallows a lump in her throat and just looks at the familiar yet so very different brunette.

"Yes. I'm…well i'm sorry for intruding" Emma answers a bit uncomfortable with having been caught snooping around and having made a fool of herself…but seriously who got the great idea to put a stupid post there?! Regina takes a step forward from her beloved horse, towards Emma and looks at the blonde stranger as if she were an alien.

"Shouldn't you bow? I am a princess after all" she asks the blonde with a certain curiosity in her voice. Regina had never come across a woman like Emma. A woman wearing pants. It was so very strange yet intriguing in a way. She had also never come across a peasant who didn't know how to behave in the presence of royalty. This girl looked well groomed and she was very beautiful so how could she not know how to act around Regina or was she trying to disrespect her? Regina frowns at that thought, not sure what to do with this girl.

Emma blushed a scarlet red and bowed to Regina the best way she knew how. Emma looks at her once she straightened her back and she couldn't help but stare. This was just so crazy and unreal to stand in front of Regina but then again not Regina because she isn't the Regina Emma knew yet. The young princess herself felt a bit uncomfortable under Emma's intense gaze but Emma couldn't help herself. This was Regina. Her Regina but a different version. Much lighter in colors, younger and so very innocent yet haunted by a certain amount of pain which will only increase as time passes by. Emma looks at the brunette with a certain sadness in her eyes because she knew what was to come, who this young innocent woman was going to be and which pains and troubles await her with each passing day.

Regina directed her gaze back to her horse and then at Emma. She still had no idea what this woman was doing.

"Who are you?" she asks with curiosity in her voice and demeanor. Emma opened her mouth to answer before frowning and closing it once more. The blonde didn't know what to answer. She wanted to leave but then again what should she tell Regina in regard her question and her presence. Regina raises an eyebrow at this and steps closer to the blonde woman once more who seemed to be off a similar age.

"Can't you speak properly?" she asks again and Emma shakes her head which just made Regina more confused than she already was. Maybe Emma had problems speaking or forming a coherent thought. She did seem a bit left behind to Regina and that would explain why she had no idea how to act around the brunette.

"Do you not wish to answer me?" She asks accusingly, finding it very rude and disrespectful from a simple peasant to deny her an answer to a very easy question. Emma's eyes widen and she takes a step back in a defensive motion.

"No, i mean….I'm the stable girl..yes stable girl" Emma nods to herself and Regina looks at her skeptical before a sadness washed over her and she looked down at a spot on the floor. Emma looks at the spot as well and bites her lip. Daniel. She couldn't imagine how painful this place must be for Regina after what had happened here.

"You don't sound so sure of yourself" Regina points out, stepping back to her horse to get him out of his box so he could be saddled. Emma just stared at her in shock. Now this was the Regina she knew, snappy and with her walls up high. Maybe this was when she began to shut the world out because she had been completely open and kind before the memory of Daniel seeped into her head and then she changed. She smiles to herself nether the less because the comeback was so much like her mayor and she did enjoy getting on her nerves on a daily bases. Emma was currently trying to imagining the face Regina was going to make once Emma figures out a way back to Storybrook and could finally deliver her honest reply. They'll probably start fighting again but truth be told Emma preferred that to being stuck in this place.

"Are you just going to stand there and look daft? Do your job" Regina snarls irritated after a moment of watching the blonde get lost in her own thoughts and Emma was about to snap back at her before realizing that this was certainly not the time to fight with Regina. Not with this Regina. Emma looks around before spotting the gear and quickly grabbing some to saddle Regina's horse. Only problem…she had no idea how to saddle a horse. She didn't even like them.

Regina looked at her skeptical and gently pushed her aside when she realizes that this was going nowhere and that her horse was getting both impatient and confused.

"You are doing it wrong" she explains and starts to saddle her precious horse so Emma can see how it's suppose to be done. Regina looks over at the blonde who seemed mesmerized but also so very clueless.

"I don't understand. How can you be a stable girl and not know how to do this?" she asks confused and Emma shrugs and smiles timidly.

"I'm a quick learner" She tries and Regina simply nods while finishing with saddling her horse and placing a kiss on his snout. Emma smiled at this action before looking away when Regina caught her staring once more.

"You are very strange" The young brunette points out, getting onto her favorite horse gracefully while Emma held his reigns to keep him still before handing them to Regina. She found it a bit ironic that Regina found her strange while they were literally in a freaking fairytale world with fairytale characters and magic. This place was honestly surreal to Emma.

"What is your name?" She asks after a moment and Emma looked at her in shock for a another which made Regina even more confused. How could she not know her own name? Emma didn't know what to answer. She could hardly say her real name. They never give their real names in movies. Emma thought for another moment and Regina must think her to be utterly daft.

"Ally. My name is Ally" she finally answers and Regina nods lightly, her horse taking a few steps forward, being impatient. Regina smiles for a moment and gently pats his neck before looking back to Emma. Her smile gone once more and replaced with a certain indifference and curiosity.

"Well Ally, you should learn your way around royalty and in the stables. You do not wish to be on the receiving end of my mother's wrath if you fail to show her the respect she deserves and your abilities" Regina informs the young woman almost sympathetically before looking back at that spot on the floor with an overwhelming sadness in her eyes. The brunette seems to be lost for a moment before snapping out of it and making her horse walk forward and out of the stables. Out of this place which used to be her little heaven and was now reduced to misery.

Emma watched her, standing still for a moment before completely freaking out. Oh my freaking god! She had to get home. No matter how. She just needed to get home immediately. She couldn't face Cora and she had no idea how to conduct herself in this place. This was one of those moments in which Emma really regretted that she had never payed any attention when her mother tried to school her about this place. It was even worse though that everything in Regina's life leads up to the curse. Even the smallest changes could ruin the future or change it significantly. Emma was determent to not see Regina again in this place. She just needed to stay away from everyone she knew and figure out a way home before she ended up meddling with the past.

Thank you for your patience! I'm sorry that this took so long. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter anyways and give me your thoughts and ideas. I might work with Emma and a g!p in a different story if you want that so let me know. The next chapter will probably be from Regina's point of view and bring them closer together


	3. Chapter 3

Where do I begin to apologize? How do I begin to explain? I'm so sorry for this extremely late update. I swear I haven't forgotten about this story and i really want to continue it. I'll try to do better ^-^

Hope you enjoy this story and you comments are always welcome (:

Chapter three:

It was impossible. Simply impossible in every imaginable way. It's similar to expecting a negative magnet not to radiate and cling towards a positive one. You may try and maybe it works for short periods of time but certainly not indefinitely. Emma seemed to radiate towards Regina like such a magnet. No matter how hard she tried to avoid the doe eyed beauty she always ended up right where she started. In her presence. Emma could scream in frustration sometimes. She needed to get home for crying out loud but that was easier said than done. Simply traveling through realms can be accomplished by various methods...in her case the easiest would be a magic bean but even that won't help her with this exact problem. She wouldn't end up in her own timeline. She needed help but as easy as it was to get here in the first place thanks to Zelena it was the utter opposite when trying to leave. Not only due to the impossible task of getting back to Storybrook and her own timeline but also because Cora must have placed traps all over the outskirt of her property to prevent her daughter from running off. Emma found herself stuck in one of them right now.

The blonde huffed as she dangled in the air by her foot which was held up by a stupid tree branch. She was cursing under her breath as she kicked at the branch and tried to will away the forming headache from all the blood rushing to her head. She fought a dragon for crying out loud!

"And what do we have here?" A dark voice rang from down below. It made a shiver run down Emma's spine and she looked down at non other than Cora Mills herself. Her face palled...if that was even possible since she was red like a tomato from hanging upside down for so long…and she swallowed thickly.

Cora raised an eyebrow and tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for an answer from the blonde.

"Oh...right" Emma blushed and hesitated for another moment as she thought about her reply before finally answering the brunette.

"I'm the new stable girl" she points out, hoping that would be enough to keep her out of the dungeons for trespassing and give her a proper explanation on why she was here in the first place. Cora at least seemed to ponder over it for a moment or two before a switch seemed to go off in her head.

"Ah yes I remember. The new stabel girl. And what might you be doing here? Your title already insinuates that your place is in the stables, dear" she points out in a chilling sweet voice.

What was Emma's reason for being stuck up here? Think Emma Swan. Think!

"I...uhm...i needed to get something in town...to wash myself...yes exactly. I needed soap" she points out, very self satisfied with her idea which seemed fairly plausible to Emma but Cora's eyebrow stayed raised as she inspects the blonde.

"You don't seem to sure of yourself-" "but I am!" Emma insists and immediately shuts her mouth at the glare she receives.

"Interrupt me again and I will cut out your tongue!" Cora hisses before composing herself "as it might be. I do not tolerate anyone leaving the grounds. If you need something you will ask your superior. Is that understood?" Cora asks firmly and Emma can do nothing but nod. Cora musters her for another moment before releasing her from her spell which made Emma fall to the ground with a loud huff and followed by a groan due to the hard landing. "Get back to work" Cora stated harshly and walked off.

Emma wanted to curse her out but she was pretty sure that that woman had eyes in the back of her head and am eagle's sense of hearing. The savior gathered herself instead and slowly stood up, brushing the dirt of her pants before heading back up to the stables. That was embarrassing.

Meanwhile in the Mills estate a young Regina was pondering over exactly that blonde because she made no sense to Regina. Something was different about her but she couldn't figure out what it could possibly be. Ally just seems as if she doesn't belong here. Not only at this estate but in the entire enchanted forest. She was just so different in her mannerism and behavior as well as her attitude. So what was she doing here? She certainly wasn't a stable girl, that's for sure. Regina wasn't stupid. That girl hasn't worked with horses for a single day in her entire life and it was fairly obvious. It had only been the other day when she caught her trying to clean their hooves by asking them to lay down with a weird command. What was it? 'Platz!' Or something like that. No she was different and for the first time in a long while Regina wasn't thinking about Daniel because there was only Ally. Only this weird intriguing blonde who she couldn't figure out but who was rather beautiful and unique.

It had been later that day that Regina watched Ally throw a fit from her window. It was rather amusing. The blonde threw the shovel she had and stomped around like a little child. Regina suspected that the horses made a mess once again...they didn't like new people very much and tended to knock over all sorts of things. Regina had her elbows on the baluster of her balcony and smirked down at Ally who wasn't that far away yet still far enough that Regina had to raise her voice. "Ally! Is something wrong?" She asks and the amusement was fairly evident in her voice.

It took a moment for Emma to realize that she was Ally but once she did, she blushed and turned to Regina. Dang it. As if she hadn't embarrassed herself enough for one day.

"No there isn't" she mumbles and looks down. Regina raises an eyebrow and her smirk only grew wider.

"What was that darling? I couldn't understand you" she asks once more and Emma growls and kicks an imaginary pebble.

"Nothing is wron-...you know what? Screw it! Your stupid horses are being annoying! There! I said it!" Emma huffed like a child and crossed her arms over her chest but to her surprise Regina only laughed.

"And why is that?" She asks amused and Emma turns back to the stables "They won't stop pooping everywhere! I just cleaned it!" Emma complains with a blush and Regina laughs even more.

"Ally. Just let it be and clean it once more in the morning" she points out with slight pity for the blonde who was obviously to far out of her element and brushed her hair back. She should really get ready for bed soon before her mother catches her.

"Goodnight, Ally" she ends the short conversation before Emma could say anything else and closes her balcony door after heading back inside.

"Goodnight" Emma mumbles a bit baffled. She just stared at Regina's window for a long time. What the hell was that? This Regina was so...so nice. Emma bit her lip and headed back into the stables to put the shovel back where it belonged only to stop dead in her tracks when she notices other people standing outside of them. It was Cora and some man in a dark attire. Emma couldn't make out his face but she was positive that it was a man due to his size and deep voice. They spoke in very hushed tones and Emma could hardly understand anything.

"Is everything ready?" The man's voice rings and Cora snorts.

"Of course. Regina will marry the king in a few weeks time."

"And the boy?"

"He's gone...tragically died the young lad" Cora smirked and god it was evil. It made Emma shudder and the hairs on the back of her neck stand at attention.

"Ah I see...how tragic. You didn't forget the rest of our deal though?" The man asks and Emma frowns. Deal? What deal? That was never in the book.

"I didn't. It will begin at the engagement ball in two days. The king will ask for her hand, she will say yes and the first steps of our operation will begin" Cora promises and with that the man disappears in a cloud of smoke.

What the hell? This wasn't right! Emma can't let anything ruin Regina's story. She needed to cast the curse so that everything can fall into place. So that Regina can adopt Henry and Emma can know her Regina in the future. The blonde had to find out what their plan was and stop it before it's to late.


End file.
